Stork Shorts
by GraffitiRythm
Summary: A collection of short stories featuring Stork as the primary character. Current story: "Under Construction"; The Condor undergoes a makeover, much to the annoyance of Aerrow and Piper.
1. Terra Souk

_Well, I'm having so much fun with my first fic that I decided to plunge into another. This will be a collection of short stories, all of which will feature Stork as the primary character. Each story will follow some event in his life and will be one or two chapters long. I'll try to keep them in chronological order, for the sake of convenience (may have to rearrange things later if necessary)._

_Because I can cover so many different little Stork stories, I encourage anybody who reads to suggest scenarios they might find interesting, dramatic, fluffy, or fun. I'll use any that tickle my fancy, and I've already got a few more shorts in the works._

_So. There you have it. Enjoy!_

--

**Story 1 - "Terra Souk"**

The red-head stepped out onto deck and shielded his eyes from the blaring summer sun. A tall man followed him out and waited impatiently for the youngster to retrieve his payment. Aerrow offered up a nervous smile and rummaged in his pockets, eventually pulling out a handful of coins.

"Is this it?" the man asked, taking the money regardless of the answer he received.

Aerrow sighed, "That's all I have."

"Well then for your sake I hope you find a pilot here that will work for damn cheap," the older man laughed and collected his bags, heading out. "Or else get comfy."

The red-headed teenager remained standing on the deck of his run-down ship, staring out over the bustling trade kingdom that was Terra Souk. He'd only had enough money to pay a pilot to take his ship somewhere close to where he'd started. Of all the potential stops, this seemed the best place to find a few people with similar interests.

It seemed as good a place as any to start searching for a squadron.

OoOoO

On Terra Souk, it was impossible to tell who was native to the land. Species and races from across the Atmos lived and traded there, and at least a dozen claimed the terra as their original home. In truth, Terra Souk had always been uninhabited, and then one afternoon many hundreds of years ago, a market sprang up out of the soil.

The rest was history.

But as easily as different species and cultures mingled in the expanse of tents and hangars and produce stands, it was still obvious when someone didn't belong there. There were at least several such aliens walking the streets at that moment, each for their own intents and purposes.

Stork and Piper were two of them. They were making their way through a district known for its crystal collectors, and Piper was none too happy with the reception they'd received.

"Are you kidding me?!" she hissed, "That's robbery!"

"Piper..." Stork stood just behind her, hand in the air. He was hoping the pure waves of his anxiety would compell her to give up.

The large blonde man inside the tent was not willing to budge. "That eez offer. You no like? Go speak to crystal man down street! 'E give you shiny apple for broken crystal. I give you money!"

Piper's frown deepened. "This crystal isn't broken! This is the Light half of a Balance Crystal. It needs the Dark half to work. It's extremely rare!"

The man laughed and paused to speak with one of his associates as though Piper wasn't even there. After a moment of letting her fume quietly, he leaned forward again. "My brudder say you telling stories, but I nice guy! Same offer. You take!"

Piper looked ready to start shouting again, but Stork intervened. He sidled a little closer to her, though seemed to keep a purposeful boundary between them all the same. "It's the best offer we've had, Piper..." he whispered through clenched teeth.

Her hard exterior melted away into a heavy sigh. She'd been so thrilled to have found that crystal, and Stork was well aware of that. But survival was important now, and they were completely broke. One half of a Balance Crystal wouldn't do much to keep them fed and sheltered.

She gathered up the meager supply of coins in a cloth bag and wandered back out into the street. Stork followed at a careful distance, completely on edge. Every little noise and movement was causing him to jump, and Piper hadn't seen his eye stop twitching since she'd first met him a few days before.

She sat down under an empty tent and the wary Merb stood just outside of it. Piper shook her head. "You should know by now that I'm not going to bite you."

Stork's voice shivered. "Yeah, but... I don't know what you might be _carrying_. Uh, no offense."

"None taken," she rolled her eyes. She'd read about Merbs and their propensity toward extreme caution, but having now met one, it was a little unbelievable. Piper was technically homeless, but she was hardly so impoverished as to be carrying diseases.

But then, Merbs rarely left their home terra. From what she'd learned, Stork was a true oddity among his people. Though he hadn't said much about how he'd come to find himself wandering the outskirts of Terra Amazonia, what he had made clear was that he couldn't go back home. Whatever he'd done had assured his exile from Terra Merb, and Piper didn't want to ask questions (rather, she _desperately_ wanted to ask questions, and she _would_, but she'd wait until Stork had confirmed to himself that she wasn't the harbinger of death and sickness). For the time being, she understood that he was entirely out of his element, and tried to respect that.

"Well, we should probably find a place to stay for the night," she said after a while.

Stork looked uncomfortable. "Are you sure about this, Piper? You sold your crystal for that money... and, um, you hardly know me."

"Well I'm not going to just leave you out here to starve," she came back. "Besides, you fixed my heliscooter. I owe you one!"

He still looked unsure, but when she left the tent he continued to follow her like a lost puppy.

It was a chance in a million that she'd found him at all. Days before, she'd been starting out on a casual ride when a storm had materialized out of nowhere, hitting her hard. The pummeling rain and swirling wind had forced her to land on the nearest terra, which happened also to be the one she'd just left. She crashed on the far side, in the thickest of jungles and an area devoid of any settlements, and found shelter in the trunk of a tree. The next morning she'd awoken to discover a completely bedraggled-looking and mud-covered creature crouching over her heliscooter. Thinking Stork was trying to steal her ride, she'd chased after him with a heavy tree branch. It was only when he regained consciousness later that she realized he was just trying to help.

The most she was able to learn from him was that he'd been stranded on the terra for a few weeks, that he was sure he had something called 'bog fever', and that he hadn't slept in days due to a family of giant sloths that had apparently taken to hunting him day and night for amusement purposes.

Piper and Stork reached the end of the street. In front of them was a three-story building made of white stone and draped in blue and green tapestries. It was the only inn Piper was familiar with, and the lobby was already getting crowded. Stork's eyes moved skyward as another carrier approached and headed to the outer rim of the terra. He watched the ship until it disappeared behind the horizon of colourful tents, and then gave a heavy sigh.

Piper watched him with immense curiousity. When they'd arrived on Terra Souk, it had taken hours to pull him away from the landing strip. He'd gone from one ship to another, rhyming off an endless list of mechanical specifications and explaining to her why one ship performed better than the next. He'd only been drawn away when the lot owner received complaints that some green kid was making the other customers uncomfortable.

He seemed an utter paradox. Someone who, by instinct, was terrified of the world and its dangers, but also maintained some odd desire to speed dangerously through it.

"We'd better hurry if we're going to get a room," she said.

He hesitated. "Is that really... _appropriate?_"

Piper sighed and grabbed his wrist, dragging him forward into the throng of customers. Diseases be damned! She'd lost a priceless crystal and was going to sleep under a roof tonight if it killed her. Stork quickly found the only empty corner in the room and stood there flinching while Piper made her way to the front desk.

Aerrow was just beside her. They arrived at the desk together.

He spoke before she did, holding out a palm full of small, silver medals. "Excuse me... do you accept Valor Marks as payment?"

Piper cleared her throat, "I think I was here first."

Aerrow stared at her, and then drew back. He nodded. "Sorry. Go ahead."

"Uh, thanks." She eyed him strangely, half-expecting him to have fought her for the first place in line. Her eyes then landed on the medals in his hand. Absent-mindedly, she spoke to the innkeeper. "One room, please. With two beds, if it's possible."

She handed over a few coins and received a key in return. Her eyes were still on Aerrow. "The emblem on those Marks..." she muttered.

"No more rooms!" The innkeeper began to shout over the crowd and was met with a number of groans and shouts of frustration. Aerrow was among the disappointed. He turned with a sigh to follow the mob back out onto the street. At least he had a ship to act as temporary housing, as much as it was ready to fall apart at the seams.

"Wait!" Piper called after him. "That insignia! It's the symbol of the Storm Hawks!"

Aerrow turned back to her. The lobby quickly emptied behind him. He gave her a scrutinizing look. "You've heard of them?"

"Are you kidding? Who hasn't?"

The red-head's face lit up with a huge smile. Piper was taken aback to see such a genuine smile. She gave a bashful grin in return, but caught hold of herself. She returned to the matter at hand. "But why do you have them? Those Marks were given to the Storm Hawks for acts of selfless bravery! They should have been passed down to their families!"

Aerrow continued to smile. He pocketed the Marks.

Piper gasped. "You! Really? But then..." she gave him a sad look upon realizing what that meant. The Storm Hawks had all fallen. Their children would have grown up without them. "I'm so sorry."

Aerrow shook his head. "It's all right. But that's kind of why I'm here. My name's Aerrow. I'm restarting the Storm Hawks."

"You are...? Aren't you a little--"

"Young, yeah. I get that a lot. But I've been training all of my life. I've got what it takes. I just... don't have a squadron yet." He gave a nervous laugh, "I need a pilot more than anything. I don't know the first thing about working the Condor."

Stork's ear perked. He lifted his head and caught sight of the kid talking to Piper. The crest Aerrow wore was unmistakable. Within seconds, Stork was at his side, much closer to another living creature than he'd ever allowed himself to be since Piper had found him.

"Did you say... the Condor?" he twitched.

Aerrow had stepped back a bit from surprise. "Uh, yeah."

"THE Condor?"

"Yeah."

Stork looked like he was either going to hug Aerrow or throw up allover him. "She's legendary!"

"Yeah..." Aerrow was starting to wish he'd picked a different inn. This one appeared to be filled with obsessive creepy people.

Piper moved between them and thrust out a hand for Aerrow to shake. "My name's Piper. This is Stork. I'm a crystal expert, and he, as luck would have it, is a pilot."

The red-head gave Stork another assessment. He'd never seen a Merb before, and unlike Piper, didn't really know the first thing about them. What he could see was that Stork's clothes were muddy and tattered, his black hair was in tangles, and he was nothing but skin and bones. He looked like he'd just escaped from a jungle.

"Uh... is he okay?"

Piper smiled, "He'll be fine. He just escaped from a jungle. So you're looking for a squadron?"

Stork butted in again before Aerrow could answer. His face was spasming manically and his fingers were tying themselves into knots. "Can I _see_ it?"

"Easy, Stork," Piper pulled him back by the collar. She could tell the Merb was also lacking in any extended knowledge of normal social behaviours. "Tell you what, Aerrow. We'll share our room with you if you give us a chance to try out for the new Storm Hawks."

Aerrow beamed, but Stork drew back. "W-wait, _what?_"

"You've got a deal," the red-head smiled.

Stork twitched. "Uh, hold on, I just wanted to see it--"

"Lead the way!" Piper said, falling into step behind Aerrow.

Stork stood where he was, hunched forward and blinking helplessly. He met eyes with the innkeeper, who could only shrug. The Merb whimpered. He didn't really _need_ to stay with Piper, did he? Certainly he was talented enough to find some work and a means of taking care of himself.

Of course, the last attempt had landed him in a forest and on the dinner menu of a family of giant sloths...

He pushed himself to follow, assuring the nagging little voice inside his head that he was simply going to take a look at the ship he'd so idolized since childhood. The _Condor_. There was no faster, no stronger, no stealthier cruiser in all the Atmos, as far as Stork was concerned.

He'd just look. No more than that. Just stepping foot on the ship would be more than he ever imagined possible.

He'd just look.

OoOoO

An hour later, Stork brought the Condor in for a landing. A manic grin was on his face, and his hands refused to leave the controls. Aerrow stood just behind him, eyes wide, breathless from the insane ride they'd just taken. Piper was equally surprised; to the extent that she'd found herself fruitlessly searching for a seat belt moments before and thought more than once that her judgment had been off all along and the Merb might have been trying to kill them.

"Wow. I've never seen her fly like that before," the red-head grinned. "I didn't think she could! If you're up to it, you and Piper are both welcome to join."

Piper had been sold as soon as she'd seen the lab. No more trading her precious crystals to get by. Now she could spend her days studying them properly! Aerrow had been more than impressed with her knowledge of crystals, terras, navigational charts, and of course, Sky Knights and their squadrons. He hadn't been so sure about Stork, who had remained quiet and panicky on the walk back to the Condor, only speaking up once to warn them not to inhale the fumes coming from a pot of small simmering frogs. It wasn't until they'd reached the small landing strip and Stork began to passionately describe aspects of the Condor he himself wasn't even aware of, that Aerrow finally realized he'd found the right person for the job.

Stork still hadn't moved from the controls. He probably would have remained standing there for hours if Aerrow hadn't laid a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and spun around.

"Well, what do you say?" Aerrow pressed.

Stork returned to fidgeting. His eyes darted from the panels next to him to the teenaged Sky Knight. His instincts were screaming at him to leave now, go home, and beg for forgiveness. But the annoying little spark of tenacity that had forced him to leave in the first place was telling him he was exactly where he should be and face-to-face with the opportunity of a lifetime.

He swallowed uneasily. "I'll... just be the pilot, right?"

"That's right."

"I won't have to _leave_ the ship...?"

That struck Aerrow as odd, but he shrugged. "Not if you don't want to."

The Merb was clearly fighting an epic internal battle. He made an angry sound in the back of his throat and closed his eyes, teeth clenched and fists balled. Piper and Aerrow watched, half worried that he was in true physical pain.

Eventually, Stork choked out a response. "All right!" he winced at the sound of his own voice, "All right... I'll join. At least... until something better comes along."

"That's great!" Aerrow clapped him on the back and his new pilot flinched.

Stork hung his head, eye twitching, one hand idly stroking the control panel. Through the front windows he could see Cyclonians amongst the buyers and sellers, and he noticed quickly that Aerrow was watching them too. The Merb gave a shudder.

"I'm going to regret this decision... aren't I?"


	2. Under Construction

_Not much to say except that I had far too much fun with this one._

--

**Story 2 - "Under Construction"**

Piper moved through the enormous, shimmering, high-tech laboratory. She was decked out in a spotless white coat and goggles, and carried with her a phial of glittering crystal dust. She leaned over the expensive machinery before her and deposited the dust within a waiting tray of similar specimens.

She was just moments away from a life-changing, world-altering discovery. The data was in, and it was flawless. She need only lift the protective glass and press a delicate finger to the red button that waited. So brightly red, so circular and elevated and eager to be pushed. That single action would see it all to fruition.

This was her moment. Her hand hovered over the button. One push, and she would be forever remembered as the greatest crystal scientist to have ever lived. A genius amongst fools. Piper: crystal expert _demigod_.

"And now, to press the button!" she exclaimed.

A loud tapping began to echo off of the walls behind her. The crystal dust was losing its luminescence. Her fingers shook in an effort to move forward.

"Right. The button! Push the button!"

The tapping sound increased. The walls were crashing, hammering, and fading out of sight. She willed her mind to stay focused. Nothing was as important as this final act.

"The... button!"

Piper fell back into darkness and her perfect lab exploded into millions of sad little pieces. Seconds later, her eyes fluttered open to the continued sound of thudding against the walls. She sat up in her squeaky bedroom cot, and as her eyes adjusted, she could take in the truth of her reality. Not a sparkling laboratory with freshly-laundered lab coats and all of the latest crystal technology. Just the Condor; old, rusty, and carrying an odd scent she couldn't quite explain or get used to.

With a groan, she fell back onto her pillow and scrunched it to the sides of her head. Her eyes drifted to an old clock on the wall.

"STORK!" she screamed, "It's five-thirty in the morning!"

OoOoO

Stork had officially been the Condor's pilot for three days. In that time he had put all of his energy into repairing the damage caused by years of service and many more of neglect. He had started with the ship's vital systems: the crystal-converting engine core, the air breaks, the energy shields, the high-speed impeller, the time-pulse navigation, the radar, and of course he'd devoted an entire day to improving the security systems. During the night he had finished updating the old electrical networks, and was now paying some attention to the structural integrity of the ship.

This meant replacing rusty metal paneling, which involved a noisy screwdriver, welding torch, and a hammer both Aerrow and Piper were growing to loathe with a deep passion.

Aerrow met Piper in the hall as she stumbled out in her pajamas and bare feet. The Sky Knight looked just as tired as she felt.

"How long has he been up?" she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

Aerrow yawned. "I don't think he went to bed."

The two of them exchanged a grumble of mutual dislike for early mornings, and made their way toward the bridge. During their walk, they started to take notice of the changes Stork had made during the night.

"That light never worked before," Aerrow said, staring at the ceiling. "Or that one. Or _that_ one!"

Piper blinked at a panel on the wall. "Is that a thermostat?"

Together they felt the odd phenomenon of cleanliness beneath their feet. Sky Knight and Specialist turned their eyes to the floor.

Piper blinked. "I think he mopped the hallway."

"I think he tiled it first."

Slightly unnerved by the way the Condor seemed to twinkle without any natural light source, Aerrow quickened his pace and Piper kept close behind him. He reached for the door to the bridge, only to find that it slid open of its own accord.

"That's strange and convenient at the same time," he said, scanning the deck ahead of him. "Stork, are you in here?"

The Merb's position was given away by a shower of sparks coming from behind a set of large pipes. It stopped abruptly and Stork peered sideways, face covered by a welding mask.

"Please be careful where you step. I just replaced and washed the floors, and the cleaning fluid I used isn't technically, um... _legal_."

Piper had wondered what that burning sensation was. She gave a tiny yelp and hopped onto a chair. Aerrow, who had at least some time until his slippers were eaten away, approached the Merb with a forced grin. Stork had already gone back to welding, getting the last wall panel in place before he turned to retrieve the infernal hammer.

Aerrow promptly reacted. "No!"

"_Da!_" Stork jumped back. He lost hold of the hammer and fumbled with it in the air. It landed on the newly-fabricated floor with an awful clang.

Stork slouched, eye-twitch hidden behind lank hair. "Well... that's hopelessly dented."

"Sorry, Stork," Aerrow winced. "Listen, we're really grateful for all of the work you've been doing do get the ship in top shape again. It's really impressive..."

Stork's mouth was a fine line. "But...?"

"But. Um, well..."

Piper could see that Aerrow was struggling. She couldn't really blame him. He'd only known the two of them for a few days, and was completely new to the whole leadership role. She decided to help him out. She still felt responsible for Stork, anyhow.

"But you really should take a break," she smiled. "You've been going at this non-stop for three days."

"I still need to recalibrate the blaster cannons... the trajectory systems are completely non-functional."

Piper retained her smile, as phony as it now looked. "I'm sure that can wait while you get some sleep."

Stork shook his head and side-stepped over to one of the Condor's weapons. "It can't. Not only would we be entirely defenceless in the all-too-likely event of a Cyclonian ambush, but the current trajectory sends all ammunition directly into the Condor's pontoons." He paused to allow for the formation of a morbid smile. "And that would spell certain _death_ and _doom_ for us all."

"That's... interesting!" Aerrow spoke up, "but I don't think we need to worry about that while we're still parked here on Terra Souk."

"It's your funeral," Stork muttered, moving back to his tools. "And mine, and Piper's..."

"We all have to go sometime," Piper sighed. "So. Off to bed!"

Stork gave her an odd look. It was the same sort of look a secluded jungle tribe might give to a tourist who decides to pet the monkey rather than eat it. The Merb gathered up the tools in a box and carried them to the new door.

"Well, don't come crying to me when you're _on fire_ and need someone to douse it... because I haven't replaced the plumbing yet either."

"Sweet dreams, Stork," Piper waved.

When he'd left the bridge, she gave Aerrow a smile of relief and sat back in the chair, propping her feet up on the table in front of it. The two of them enjoyed a few blissful moments of peace and quiet. This peace and quiet was immediately followed up by a shrill banging in the air ducts above them. They turned their faces to the ceiling.

"Don't mind me," Stork spoke from inside the duct, "I'm just installing an air filter. I found mold in the bathroom earlier... As you're probably aware, extended exposure could lead to severe immunodeficiency... or _cranial hemorrhaging_, depending on the species."

Piper's own eye was starting to twitch. "Stork..."

"I'll perform a proper test on the specimen as soon as I'm finished here--"

"GO TO BED!" Aerrow and Piper found themselves shouting in unison.

OoOoO

Stork had been gone from the bridge for a good ten minutes, and only when Piper and Aerrow were sure he wasn't clambering around in the steam pipes did they allow themselves to relax. Piper tested the corrosive state of the floors before shuffling quickly across the bridge to the sliding door. She turned to Aerrow before stepping out.

"Do you drink coffee?"

Aerrow grinned. "I do since Stork moved in."

"Thought so. I'll go and make us both a cup," she laughed.

Stork was nowhere to be seen as she walked down the hall to the tiny kitchen. She presumed he was in his new bedroom; although, calling it a 'bedroom' was being a little generous. Stork had chosen a utility closet and insisted that it was all he needed. Piper recalled that Merb dwellings were generally very tiny (as they needed to be rebuilt just about every other weekend), so she supposed it made sense. Still, for all the work he was putting into the Condor, it seemed he certainly deserved a bit more.

She foraged through cupboards and drawers for a few cups, finding some old mugs boxed away in the pantry. She'd bought a bag of coffee beans, a jug of water, and a few other meager supplies the day before when she had realized sleep would be evading her yet again.

A familiar childhood tune came into her mind and she hummed as she brewed the coffee, grinding and pouring and stirring and glancing to the window where Stork was just outside and staring at her--

Piper screamed and dropped one of the cups.

"What are you doing now!?" she panted, having collected the broken shards and opened the window. "Why were you _staring_ at me?"

Stork didn't look the least bit concerned by Piper's hysterics. "I wasn't... Can you pass me the wrench on the counter there?"

Piper raised a fist, grumbled, and turned to grab the wrench. She slammed it into the Merb's outstretched hand and he nearly lost his grip on the rope that was currently supporting him.

He flinched and gave a yelp, "Are you trying to _kill_ me?"

"Are you trying to drive us _insane?_"

Stork narrowed his eyes and set to tightening a bolt. The bolt wasn't having any of it.

"This isn't working..." he grumbled. "Exactly when is that _Sky Knight_ planning to hire some dumb muscle?"

Piper frowned, "Send him a memo. Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"I don't drink coffee."

"Could have fooled me."

OoOoO

Having ordered Stork to sleep once again (and this time followed him to his bedcloset to assure he wouldn't discover a new chore along the way), Piper finished pouring the coffee and brought it back to the bridge where Aerrow was quietly examining some old charts.

She sat down at the table. "Is that a map of Cyclonia?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's pretty old though; I'd like to get some updated charts before we leave, if we can afford it."

Piper smiled to herself and sipped her drink. "If we don't start running some missions soon, we're going to be too broke to start."

Aerrow grinned and sighed, rolling up the chart and storing it with a number of other aging documents from the days of the previous Storm Hawks. He downed his coffee and spared a glance out of the window.

"I think it might be too late to go back to bed now, so I might as well get dressed and showered--"

"No plumbing," Piper pointed out.

Aerrow frowned. "Right... well. Dressed then."

He left the bridge and grabbed his uniform, toothbrush, and poured a small glass of water from the jug Piper had bought earlier. Eventually, he made his way to the Condor's bathroom. He pushed open the creaky door and heard a yelp on the other side. Immediately he pulled it closed again and jumped back.

"Stork? Sorry buddy, I didn't know you were in there."

Aerrow could hear muffled angry muttering on the other side. He suspected Stork's top priority now would be adding locks to all of the doors.

Stork sighed from inside the bathroom, "I'm fixing the plumbing..."

"Oh! Well. That's good, I guess. How long is it going to take?"

"Depends. I'm retiling, bleaching, and disinfecting as I go."

Aerrow sighed and opened the door again. This time the overwhelming smell of toxic chemicals hit him square in the face. He doubled back with watering eyes and burning lungs.

Stork adjusted his face mask. "Yeah... um, if you're going to come in here, try not to touch anything or, uh, _breathe_."

"I think I'll just wait on the bridge with Piper..." the red-head frowned.

OoOoO

Faced with the potential horrors of another day living on the Condor with Stork stuck in repair mode, Aerrow and Piper decided to risk eventual poverty and spend their last coins on a room at the inn. When they left, Stork had just finished with the bathroom (which would remain dangerously uninhabitable for at least another twenty-four hours) and started on rewiring the radios. They knew they'd made the correct decision as soon as the hammer had reappeared, ready to assault their eardrums once more. The two of them couldn't have exited the ship any faster if their lives had depended on it.

"You don't think he'll take off with the ship, do you?" Aerrow asked that night.

Piper laughed. "With that dent still in the table? Oh no, far too dangerous to be flying the ship with a dented table."

The two shared a giggle, found their beds, and drifted into wonderful, peaceful, Storkless sleep.

OoOoO

Sometime the next day, after sleeping well into the afternoon, Aerrow and Piper walked side-by-side back to the lot where they'd left the Condor. Not surprisingly, the ship shimmered in the sunlight, as perfect and flawless as the day she'd been made.

"Wow..." Aerrow gaped. "I've got to hand it to him. He does good work."

Piper had to agree. "She definitely looks ready to fly now!"

Excited to see the famous ship fly in top condition, Aerrow jogged the last of the way. A huge smile on his face, he entered the bridge with Piper just behind him. Stork was standing at the controls.

"Is she--" Aerrow started.

Stork help up a finger for silence. "Wait."

Sky Knight and Specialist stood motionless in the doorway, holding their breath to the single sound of a steady squeak as Stork used a screwdriver to secure one last tiny screw into the radio panel. He stopped, turned slowly, and grinned in an almost menacing way.

"There. I'm _finished_."

Piper squealed in delight and Aerrow released a shout of joy. Stork stood where he was in a zombie-like sort of way. His face was drawn and pale and his eyes were bloodshot and deeply circled, but the smile remained. He turned his back on his teammates to stare out of the front window of his glorious ship.

"I guess this means we can finally set out," Aerrow said, sliding his fingers across the smooth surface of the control panels.

Piper gave a little hop of glee. "I'll map a course!"

Aerrow wandered over to the table with her, feeling at last like a proper commander. "All right Stork," he smiled, "take us out of here!"

The Merb remained standing where he was, head bowed.

"Stork?"

Still no response. Aerrow exchanged an uneasy glance with Piper before moving forward. "Something wrong, Stork?"

The Sky Knight extended a gloved hand, laying it gently on Stork's narrow shoulder to try and grab his attention. Immediately, the Merb's legs gave out from under him and he crumpled sideways. Aerrow caught him quickly, only to be met with unusually loud snoring.

"He's... asleep," the red-head blinked.

Piper stared at Aerrow, who was looking quite perplexed with the sleeping Merb cradled in his arms as though being dipped in a ballroom dance. After a few strained moments of silence, the crystal expert gave a short laugh and turned to the sliding doors.

"Wait, where are you going?" Aerrow croaked.

Piper's smile widened. "Where do you think?"

"More coffee?"

"More coffee."


End file.
